Oklahoma Ambulance Crew Gets Break

NORMAN -- This week, with slick sheets of ice finally off the streets, Norman EMSStat paramedics like Sherry Prince may get the luxury of completing a meal at the station without interruption.

Prince had no such luck Friday afternoon when an alarm for her unit sounded and she stood ready to abandon lunch for a third time. Fortunately, crew chief Eddie Sims noticed and he found another pair willing to go in her stead.

"The crew chiefs here are good about watching who gets hammered," Prince said while finishing her lunch.

The entire Norman Regional Hospital EMSStat crew was hammered by frequent calls all of last week, due in large part to freezing temperatures that kept ice from thawing off roads and sidewalks. The frenzy peaked Wednesday when paramedics responded to 52 calls, which Sims said tied a 24-hour record that excludes disasters and University of Oklahoma football game days.

Sims said EMSStat added a fifth ambulance unit -- which he said is normal for January -- and everyone had busy 24-hour shifts, but no one had to work overtime to meet the demand.

While calls included normal medical emergencies and the occasional assault, people and vehicles slipping on sidewalks or streets accounted for the increased calls Wednesday and throughout the week.

Kent Endersby said he responded to a five-vehicle crash on Interstate 35, and while there he saw four more cars slide off the roadway. His first three calls Friday were on I-35, where he said on-ramps and off-ramps were especially slick.

With school called off last week, emergency medical technicians also responded to some sledding mishaps. Paramedic Steve Yarbrough said one area near Tecumseh Road was so popular, sledders actually crafted stairs out of the snow and ice for climbing the hill.

"We certainly want to encourage parents to keep kids from engaging in dangerous activities," he said.

Paramedics and other emergency personnel were hardly immune to the dangers of driving on ice.

Sims described going out to calls as "treacherous and activity-wise, very busy." Ambulances and even fire engines were sliding on ice.

"We've been responding to calls and I literally had to go 5 miles per hour because it was so slick. The ice melted and refroze two or three times and it was literally like a skating rink.

Yarbrough was amused by the sight of two police officers, four firefighters and a paramedic holding hands just to make it up a walkway without slipping.

So how did the men and women of EMSStat keep going during such a busy week?

For many it was coffee, Endersby in particular.

"This guy is a Starbucks connoisseur," Yarbrough said while pointing at him.

Endersby couldn't deny his love for the ground beans of the international chain, though he was quick to say, "I've sampled other coffees."

They also take along snacks to keep their energy up, especially when cooking or eating a formal meal is a hit-and-miss proposition.

"Crock pots are great," said Becca Bradley. "You don't want to run out and leave anything on the stove -- that would be embarrassing."

Even on one of their most hectic days, the Norman paramedics seemed to genuinely enjoy their work.

Prince, who didn't hesitate to go on that third Friday afternoon run before the crew chief intervened, said she doesn't mind commuting from her Edmond home because "we have such a great crew to work with and excellent paramedic services."

And when thinking back on last week's difficulties, Sims shrugged and said, "It's fun; this is what we do.

"Whether it's grass fires, big emergencies, football games or ice, this is what we do, so we adapt to whatever it is."

James S. Tyree: 292-6113,

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